After showing how adaptation programs can be managed successfully, Nepal Climate Change Support Program (NCCSP) is now already in the second phase

After showing how
adaptation programs can be managed successfully, Nepal
Climate Change Support Program (NCCSP) is now already in the second phase. With
support from DFID, the program will be extended for another five years.

This program aims to
mainstream climate change adaption into Nepal's national development agenda and
to contribute to achieve sustainable development goals by fostering poverty
reduction, livelihood diversification and community resilience while ensuring
the implementation of most urgent and immediate adaptation actions for poorest
and most vulnerable communities. To do so, the NCCSP is implementing 100 Local
Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPA) in 68 Gaupalika and Nagarpalika (former
87 VDCs and 9 Municipalities) of 14 climate vulnerable districts of 3
provinces-5, 6 and 7 namely Achham, Bajura, Kailali, Bardiya, Dang, Rukum,
Rolpa, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Kalikot, Jumla, Humla, Mugu and Dolpa.

The NCCSP is also supporting
efforts in building the institutional capacity of government and non-government
stakeholders to implement Nepal’s Climate Change Policy and execute the most
urgent and immediate adaptation actions to address the local adaptation needs
and priorities. The NCCSP has supported initiatives to upgrade District Energy
and Environment Units (DEEUs) of the 14 districts above to District Energy
Environment and Climate Change Sections (DEECCS) by expanding their roles to climate
change agenda and strengthening institutional capacity. Similarly, it established
and strengthened capacity of local mechanisms-District Energy, Environment and
Climate Change Coordination Committee (DEECCCC) and Village/Municipality level
EECCCs at fourteen districts, 87 VDCs and 9 Municipalities. These local
mechanisms are playing significant role in planning, implementation and
monitoring of LAPAs.

So far, NCCSP has
implemented more than 2431 local adaptation actions under six thematic areas
namely: i) Agriculture, livestock development and food security; ii) Forest
management and biodiversity; iii) Alternative energy; iv) Climate induced
hazards and physical infrastructures; v) Human resource, capacity development
and livelihood; and vi) Human health. From the implementation of adaptation
actions of LAPAs for more than 600,000 (51 % women) climate vulnerable people,
who have benefited directly and indirectly. Of the total actions, 40% focus on
agriculture and food security and livelihood. These sectors are dominated by
women's involvement.

As women are vulnerable
to climate change, NCCSP ensures that the LAPAs it implements are
gender-sensitive as much as they are inclusive, participatory and empowering.
To do so, NCCSP has adopted GESI strategy that explicitly mentions 50% women
participation and programme beneficiary, encouraging women to take part in climate
change adaptation. The programme encourages women to take the leadership roles
in EECC coordination committees, sensitizes and develops capacity of women
through training and skill development activities. Likewise, NCCSP also
encourages poor and vulnerable people to improve their livelihood through
entrepreneurship training in income generating activities. Such activities have
helped improve the livelihood of vulnerable people, specifically women, and
eventually assisted them to adapt to climate change.

Vulnerable people, through
orientation and awareness raising activities, have been able to understand
climate change and its impact. They identify and articulate the need of
adaption to minimize the effects of climate change. This programme has also
been helping vulnerable communities to engage in income generating activities
such as knitting and sewing, and other small enterprises, while building
climate resilience structures such as deep-boring irrigation system, elevated
community building, elevated toilets and hand-pumps in terai districts as well
as irrigation canal, land-slide control measures, drinking water taps, water
ponds, improved water mills, etc in the hilly districts. Introduction of flood
and drought resistant varieties of various crops and vegetables to the smallholder
farmers with supply of training and seeds remain highly beneficial in the flood
and drought-prone areas.

Amongst several other
activities under various themes of LAPA, this programme also promotes renewable
energy technologies such as ICS, biogas, solar power and micro hydropower. Support
in implementation of such activities have been helpful in reducing drudgery of
women and at the same time lessening in-door pollution.

For its LAPA
model, the NCCSP has been recognized internationally as a model project on
climate change adaption to enhance adaptive capacity of poor and most
vulnerable people. It stood as one of the best five projects amongst 170
submissions in a Global Contest call by NWP/UNFCCC in CoP 21. Similarly, it received
the “People’s Champion” and “Honourabe Mention” titles in Global Photo Contest
organized by the Adaptation Fund Board. These winner photos were displayed at
World Bank headquarters in Washington DC during the Annual Global Climate
Finance Readiness Seminar, and at CoP 22, Morocco.

The NCCSP is not
only a model project for its LAPA but it also has explicitly translated Nepal's
Climate Change Policy into practice by spending more than 80% of its total
budget in the communities. This has highlighted and popularized government's on
budget and on treasury fund flow system amongst the development partners.

The NCCSP is not only
contributing to combined outputs of the NAPA but also providing learning
opportunities in the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The
MoPE is formulating the NAP based on NAPA and LAPA to address mid and long term
adaptation needs in seven main themes and two cross-cutting themes.

Climate change is tremendously
affecting people and livelihoods and there is a clear need of adaption to reach
more vulnerable communities. The effectiveness of the programme has persuaded
the development partners and other non-governmental organizations to scale up
more LAPAs in vulnerable communities. At the same time, it is very important to
support the vulnerable communities in sustaining their adaptive capacity built
as a result of NCCSP intervention.

The NCCSP is in
implementation since 2013 under the leadership of the Ministry of Population
and Environment in close collaboration with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and
Local Development and the Alternative Energy Promotion Center with financial
support of DFID and EU and technical support of UNDP. At the local level, the
District Coordination Committees (former DDC) of 14 districts are taking the
lead role in implementation through Line Agencies, NGOs, Private Sector and
Users' Committees.

Child friendly drinking water tap constructed under the support of NCCSP in Chhipra village of Humla district

Vegetable farming supported by NCCSP in Parimela village of Dailekh district

Child friendly drinking water tap constructed under the support of NCCSP in Chhipra village of Humla district